Somewhere in Toronto, the tall foreheads of The Sports Network and Rogers Sportsnet wept silently into their respective beers Tuesday while another round of big-name transfers sapped what few talking points remained for Trade Deadline Day.

Virtually three years ago to the day, strolling through the press box at Boston’s TD Garden pre puck-drop, a 5-0 battering by the bar-brawling Bruins in the offing, a curmudgeonly, crookbacked sports scribbler happened to bump into an old acquaintance, Andrew Ference, out injured, on the way to the coffee urn.

On the surface, the customary sellout crowd of 19,289 filled the pews Sunday night at the Scotiabank Saddledome to watch the 28th-place Calgary Flames take on the surging St. Louis Blues. In reality, the faithful came to soak up the sight of Jarome Iginla with the flaming ‘C’ on his chest for what could be the final time.

Officially, this was one of seven games on the National Hockey League docket Sunday. And there, out on the Scotiabank Saddledome ice, was theoretically the setting of the night’s action.But high above the ice, tucked into a booth at press-box level, had sat Calgary Flames general manager Jay Feaster — where the real action was.Or was not.

DALLAS — The parallels are unavoidable. Both captains. Both highly respected. Both having come to symbolize the only organizations they have ever known. Both set to become unrestricted free agents on July 1st. Both holding the hammer of no-trade clauses, and therefore wielding a large measure of control. Both the subject of gathering barter speculation as April 3rd’s trade embargo hurtles towards us like a runaway freight train. “Yeah, I see what you’re saying,” concedes Brenden Morrow politely. “I guess there are similarities.”

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